The 16th Member of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield
by Anarane Calafalas
Summary: We all know of Thorin's hatred for elves so why is there one accompanying him on the quest to reclaim Erebor? Missing scenes from the movie 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' involving Thorin's "sister" Anarane.


I do not own The Hobbit or any of its characters. The only character I own is Anarane. I am not making a profit from this story. Enjoy!

* * *

"Fili!"

"Kili!"

"At your service!" The brothers greeted in unison, bowing energetically.

Snapping back up, Kili smiled brightly and exclaimed, "You must be Mr. Boggins!"

"Nope! You can't come in. You've come to the wrong house!" Bilbo exclaimed, almost angrily, making to slam shut the door, when Kili effectively stopped it.

"What? Has it been canceled?" Kili asked, a hint of fear dancing in his eyes.

Fili's brow quirked in confusion and glancing between his brother and Bilbo stated, "No one told us."

"Canceled? No, nothing's been canceled." Bilbo stated impatiently.

"Well, that's a relief." Kili said, walking into the house.

Fili followed his brother, looking around. Stopping in front of Bilbo he told him, "Careful with these. I just had 'em sharped." As he dumped his weapons into Bilbo's arms.

"It's nice, this place. Did you do it yourself?" Kili inquired as he scraped the mud off his boots on the edge of a chest.

"What? No, it's been in the family for years. That's my mother's glory box. Can you please not do that?" He questioned, his tone irritated.

"Forgive them. They can be a bit… overwhelming."

Bilbo whirled around at the musical, feminine voice.

"Anarane, at your service." She continued, removing her fur trimmed hood from her head and bowing deeply. As she straightened up Bilbo just stared in open mouthed shock at the beauty standing before him. The strands of her auburn hair formed the letter "s", and there was one single braid on the right side of her head. Her eyes were large, innocent and a blue the color of the sky but he could also see hints of green like grass and grey like the sky on a rainy day. She was wearing a simple brown cloak with the neckline and front of it trimmed with fur and brown boots that had a cuff folded over at her knees and beneath the cloak was a brown jacket with three Chinese frog buttons decorating the high style mandarin collar with another six buttoning the front of the blouse. It came down to her thighs and the long sleeves barely covered up her hands which were covered in brown leather open fingered gloves.

"May I…?" She motioned with her hand at the door.

"What? Oh… of course, of course."

Anarane, glided, in and took two brown leather sheaths with steel throats and chapes off her back both holding her double 'hand-and-a-half' swords. He could see the long wooden handles covered in brown leather and the 'scent stopper' pommels. She also laid down her quiver of arrows and her solid hickory longbow with beveled hand sculpted white leaves along 4 sides of the tips of the bow, no arrow rest, and with static recurves at the tips.

After relieving herself off her weapons Bilbo puffed his chest out and introduced himself quite formally, "Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End at your service." giving her a deep bow as well.

Anarane smiled demurely. "Saesa omentien lle (Pleasure meeting you)." She replied removing her cloak and jacket showing her green cotton Chinese ethnic fashion cloth with long sleeves, that came down to her thighs and had three buttons below the high mandarin style collar.

Bilbo's mind raced wildly as she spoke Elvish. That's when he noticed the pointed ears barely

peeking out through her hair. She was an elf! And she was here, in his house!

"Fili! Kili! Come on, give us a hand."

"Mr. Dwalin. Ha, ha."

"Excuse me." Bilbo hurried after the dwarves.

"Let's shove this in the hallway; otherwise we'll never get everyone in."

* * *

Anarane leaned against a doorway, arms crossed over her chest, a fond smile adorning her features. She made sure to stay out of the way as the twelve dwarves began raiding the pantry and taking out all of his food. She ducked her head, hiding her smile as she heard Bilbo trying to tell them to put the food back, with his pleas falling on deaf ears as they blatanly ignored him.

"Those are my plates! Excuse me! Not my wine. Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please! ...Excuse me." As Bombur walked out of the pantry with three entire wheels of cheese Bilbo inquired, "Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?"

Bofur instead answered for his brother, "Cheese knife? He eats it by the block."

As Oin and Gloin walked through the hall carrying chairs from one of Bilbo's rooms. Bilbo became emphatic, "No, no, that's Grandpa Mungo's chair! No, I'm sorry, you'll have to take it back please. Take it back...It's antique, not for sitting on! Thank you! That's a book, not a coaster. Put that map down, thank you."

Anarane bit the inside of her cheek when Oin informed him, "I cannot hear what you're saying!" With a sigh she decided it was getting a tad bit overcrowded and grabbing her cloak, disappeared outside.

* * *

"He is late, is all. He travelled north to a meeting of our kin. He will come." Dwalin explained taking a drink from his tankard.

"Right then. And we seem to be missing one elf as well. Or did Thorin back out on his word and not allow young Anarane to accompany him?" Gandalf inquired a hint of ire in his voice.

Dwalin gave Gandalf a slight glare. "She's around here somewhere. She arrived with Fili and Kili. Although I don't see why he allowed her to come. As you've already stated, she's an elf."

"She is also Thorin's kin, adopted by Thror himself."

"Though the lad will not admit it." Balin stated coming up to stand beside his brother.

Dori approached them. "Mr. Gandalf?" He inquired.

"Hmmm?" Gandalf hummed his answer.

"A little glass of red wine, as requested. It's, eh, got a fruity bouquet."

* * *

"Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!"

"But it's full of holes!"

"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet."

"Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you got the balls for it." Anarane shook her head at Bofur's comment which showed his ignorance.

"I don't want to get used to them. The state of my kitchen! There's mud trod into the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom; they've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" Anarane shook her head fondly. She'd make sure to get her boys to clean up before they left.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" That was Ori.

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me." Fili told the lad.

Oh no… Her fears were confirmed by Bilbo's fearful, pleading voice, "Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing crockery, it's over a hundred years old! And can you not do that? You'll blunt them!"

"Ooh, d'hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." Anarane rolled her eyes at the mirth in Bofur's voice. She knew what was coming next and chuckled at the voices drifting up through the window. _"Blunt the knives, bend the forks_. _Smash the bottles and burn the corks_. _Chip the glasses and crack the plates_. _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_ _Cut the cloth and tread on the fat_. _Leave the bones on the bedroom mat_. _Pour the milk on the pantry floor_. _Splash the wine on every door_. _Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl_. _Pound them up with a thumping pole_. _When you've finished, if any are whole_. _Send them down the hall to roll_. _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"_ Anarane laughed along with the dwarves and Gandalf but quickly quieted as she saw a figure approaching the house. Her eyes narrowed but she smiled when she recognized the figure. Everyone fell silent when that figure knocked loudly on the door three times.

"He is here." She heard Gandalf seriously state.

Indeed he was. Anarane glanced down and there standing at the door was her brother. Thorin Oakenshield. The leader of their company.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door." Anarane smirked. Looks like Dwalin was wrong. He wasn't late because of the meeting but because of his own lack of sense of direction.

"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

Oh boy. Here came the interrogation.

"Pardon me?" Bilbo's confused voice.

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Anarane rolled her eyes at Thorin's idiotic question because those weren't the only two weapons in the world. She and Kili both also used a bow.

"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Anarane felt for the hobbit when the dwarves all laughed.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked and Anarane concentrated on the conversation.

"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms." Anarane smiled as she heard the dwarves murmur their joy.

"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin inquired quietly.

After a moment of silence Thorin admits hesitantly that, "They will not come.

This time the words were met with the dwarves murmuring in disappointment.

"They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

That's the way you wanted it though Thorin. The treasure is ours, and ours alone. Erebor is ours and ours alone she mentally berated him as she heard the dwarves further murmur disappointedly.

"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie." Anarane shook her head fondly at Ori's bold exclamation as she heard several dwarves shout. She knew that it was just talk; that wasn't Ori's disposition.

"Sit down!" Dori, more like an elf than a dwarf harshly reprimanded his brother.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest." Balin never did beat around the bush… But of course dwarves are not particularly thick skinned when it comes to comments of this nature and she could hear the dwarves start objecting, saying things like, "Hey, who are you calling dim?" "Watch it!", and "No!"

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" She smiled proudly at Fili's fiery passion.

"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili's optimism is clearly heard in his voice.

Gandalf starts coughing at that point and the dwarves start arguing about the number of dragons Gandalf has killed. They are silenced though when Thorin bellows angrily, "_Shazara!_ [Silence!] If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? _Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!_ [To arms! To arms!]"

Anarane smiles as all the dwarves cheer. Thorin was always good at rallying.

"How came you by this?" Thorin's voice is quiet, almost a whisper as he sounds genuinely shocked and surprised.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf calmly explains.

"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fili states.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls." Gandalf tells them.

"There's another way in!" Again, Kili's optimistic voice rings out.

But Gandalf puts his two cents in. "Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can." Anarane's heart stills at his words. She knows of who he speaks. And Thorin will not be pleased at all.

Again the dwarves begin arguing. Anarane was debating jumping down and stilling their argument when she hears Gandalf's "powerful" voice. It seemed Gandalf was just as angry as she was. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." His voice returned to its normal tone. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Anarane waited with baited breath. Thorin did not trust many people. "Very well. We will do it your way." She breathed a sigh of relief as he conceded.

Her elvish hearing picked up the whispered voices of Thorin and Gandalf and she was shocked by the conversation. "I cannot guarantee his safety." Thorin. "Understood." Gandalf. "Nor will I be responsible for his fate." Thorin. And after a few moments of silence Gandalf. "Agreed."

"Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration?"

Uh oh. Anarane heard the question in Bilbo's voice.

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." She was going to kill Bofur!

"Huh."

"You all right, laddie?" Of course he's not alright Balin! Did Bilbo sound alright?!

"Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint."

"Think furnace with wings." Bofur…

"Air, I-I-I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash." That's it, Bofur was dead!

"Hmmm. Nope." Bilbo stated. And then she heard a loud thump that sounded suspiciously like something falling on to the floor.

"Ah, very helpful, Bofur." Gandalf gently reprimanded. Finally!

* * *

"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." Thorin stated convincingly, emphatically.

"Anarane came as well. She is loyal to you. She has a willing heart. And she is honorable."

"She is an elf. What honor is there in that?" Thorin snapped, a snarl adorning his features.

Balin sighed and after a few moments of silence continued, "…You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

Thorin held up the newly acquired key. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me.

"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done." Balin promised, clasping a hand on Thorin's shoulder.

* * *

Anarane sat atop the hill that Bag End was hidden in, staring across Hobbiton.

"Oy! Come down from there! We managed to save you some food!"

Anarane sighed affectionately and rolling her eyes, jumped down to land in front of the door. "Diola lle (thank you). But I have already eaten."

Kili rolled his eyes as Fili attempted to hide his smile. "Anarane, Elvish bread and dried fruits do not constitute as eating." He reasoned calmly.

"At least have some stew and bread!" Kili interjected with a heartfelt exclamation as he thrust a bowl towards her.

Anarane took the bowl from Kili but made no move to eat any of it.

"Anarane…" Fili growled threateningly.

"I'm older than you, so don't push me little one." She growled right back.

Fili sighed sadly. "Promise you'll eat something more substantial."

"I do eat food that is substantial, just not by dwarven standards." Anarane snarked back as she took a bite. As Fili and Kili smiled in triumphant she motioned to the house. "Back inside."

* * *

Anarane heard the humming as she walked down the dark hallway behind Kili and Fili. As Kili continued walking into the room and Fili went to stand beside the hearth taking his pipe out and lighting it Anarane positioned herself at the entrance of the hallway.

"Far over the Misty Mountains cold…" Thorin began the known song.

"To dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away 'ere break of day to find our long-forgotten gold. The pines were roaring on the height the winds were moaning in the night the fire was red, it flaming spread the trees like torches blazed with light." Anarane's clear, melodic voice harmonized with the deep voices of the dwarves.

* * *

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili apologized, ashamedly hanging his head.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin snarled, stalking past them and standing stoically upon a rock in a clearing where most of the ponies were, moonlight shining down on him.

Anarane got up as well and placing a comforting hand on Kili's shoulder with a reassuring smile she went over and did the same thing to Fili. She walked over and stood by Thorin. "Thorin, how would they know anything of the world when you have kept them safe from harm at the Blue Mountain?" She reprimanded softly and gently, but it was still enough to earn her a heated glare full of hate from Thorin.

She could hear Balin behind them. "Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But out enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King."

As the story ended Anarane noticed out of the corner of her eyes Thorin's eyes misted over and a single tear sliding down his cheeks. As she turned around, she casually lifted her hand to his cheek and wiped it away with a compassionate smile before making her way back to the others.

* * *

"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley."

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place." Thorin stated, stalking past Gandalf.

Gandalf followed him. "Why not? The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice."

"I do not need their advice." Thorin snarled in reply.

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us."

"Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past." Gandalf stated angrily.

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." Thorin snapped in reply. Gandalf's response was to stomp off angrily, past each member of the Company including Anarane who handed her reins off and walked towards the ruins.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked worriedly.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense." Gandalf growled.

"Who's that?"

"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day." Gandalf muttered angrily.

* * *

Anarane cautiously approached Thorin, who had his back to her. "Thorin?" She inquired softly, gently.

Hesitantly, cautiously.

"What is it?" He asked tiredly, but Anarane heard the underlying anger lacing the question.

"I do not believe it is wise to chase the only wizard we have away."

"Did I ask for your counsel?"

"… I heard what you said about the Elves. And I know that you did not even want me to accompany you on this quest. Even though I am your sister."

"Not by blood!" Thorin told her angrily through gritted teeth, turning on his heel to glare at her. "Only by my grandfather's decision. And he was not one to make wise decisions in regards to his family and his allies."

Realization dawned on her at that statement. "… You hate me because of the inaction of my kind."

"… Return to the Blue Mountain." He stated calmly, turning his back on her.

"Thorin?" She asked quietly in disbelief.

"Leave!" He shouted angrily, turning around to face her again.

"And what will I tell our people? They will wonder why I have returned without you. I will not be sent back like an errant child!" Anarane shouted back just as angrily, finally losing her temper.

"I was wondering when that temper that's as fiery as your hair would make an appearance. It was why my grandfather was so affectionate of you. I have not seen it since the attack on Erebor, when we were forced out of our home."

"The elves of Greenwood are not my kin! I do not hail from that realm!"

"I will hear no more of it. Leave. I do not wish to see you again until I return to the Blue Mountain to inform our kin that we have reclaimed Erebor."

Anarane's lower lip quivered. "You do not wish to see me again at all brother." She made to walk out but not without telling him, "I miss the Lonely Mountain too. Just not the way you do. I miss it for different reasons. Not for the power and wealth it gives us, but for the memories. You treated me like family then. Not like how you treat me now. Like scum."

Thorin snorted disdainfully at the words that fell from Anarane's lips. She walked out and retrieved her packs from her horse.

"Lass? Where are you off to?" Dwalin's brogue rumbled with the question.

"Scouting." And walking past the ruins, she gave Thorin one last longing look and continuing on, disappeared.

Thorin appeared at the entrance to the ruins. "Come on, Bombur, we're hungry."

* * *

Anarane had her arrow aimed assessing the situation, her eyes flickering, trying to find the best way to get Bilbo out of their alive and unharmed. She had fought trolls she had to hit them in the right spot and just right otherwise she would lose an arrow and it would not help the situation Bilbo was in. She saw the bushes rustling and saw Kili suddenly run out cutting one of the trolls in the leg, making him howl and fall down.

"Drop him!"

_"D**n you Kili!" Anarane cursed him mentally. He was going to get himself killed! Curse the impulsiveness of dwarves._

"You what?"

"I said, drop him."

Anarane breathed a sigh of relief when one of the trolls threw Bilbo at Kili. She rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile when Bilbo landed on Kili, knocking them both down. She growled at the stubbornness of dwarves when the rest of the Company charged out of the bushes yelling and brandishing their weapons. As they began fighting the trolls; hacking, slashing, and hammering their legs Anarane aimed her bow from skirmish to skirmish, frustrated at how useless she was. Suddenly the dwarves stopped fighting and she could see why. The trolls were holding Bilbo by his arms and legs.

She saw Kili move forward and shout, "Bilbo!" She almost jumped down to restrain him herself but breathed a sigh of relief when Thorin did it instead as he shouted out, "No!"

"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off."

Anarane waited with baited breath. Thorin would never lay down his weapons, let alone lay them down for Bilbo who he didn't even want on this quest! She was searching for a way to get the trolls to release Bilbo when her jaw dropped and her heart stopped beating for a moment. Thorin had thrust his sword into the ground! Her heart sped up in fear when she saw the others drop their weapons as well.

… Not good.

* * *

Anarane had sighed in relief when Gandalf had appeared, turning the trolls to stone. She relaxed against the tree she was currently perched in.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?"

"To look ahead."

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind." Anarane chuckled quietly at Gandalf's reply. It was the same reason why she had returned after Thorin had sent her away.

"Nasty business. Still, they are all in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar."

Anarane's blood boiled at Thorin's comment. Bilbo had given them precious time! It was why Gandalf had been able to turn the trolls to stone! She got to her feet and was about to jump down to strangle him and give him a lecture when she heard Gandalf's reprimand. "He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that." Anarane smirked at the look of repentance on Thorin's face. That must have galled him to not snark back! As Gandalf and Thorin examined the statues of the trolls Gandalf observed, "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?"

"Oh, not for an age, not since a darker power ruled these lands." Anarane stiffened at those words. She remembered that age. She had lost her mother during that time. After her mother's death her father had not been able to care for her so her lieges the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, in order to form an alliance with Thror had sent Anarane to live at Erebor.

Looking meaningfully at each other Gandalf continued, "They could not have moved in daylight."

Thorin looked around wildly. "There must be a cave nearby."

* * *

As the others left the clearing Anarane was about to climb down from the tree when she noticed something from the corner of her left eye, in the opposite direction of where the others had gone. She turned her body fully around to face that direction. Squinting, she used her Elven eyesight and could see a warg pack with orcs astride them. Anarane jumped to the ground and strode determinedly towards the threat, her bow in hand at the ready.

* * *

Anarane quickly dispatched eight orcs from their wargs before she was spotted. The eight rider less wargs snarled angrily and rushed her. Anarane easily dispatched six of them but did not notice the other two sneaking behind her. She fell forward to her knees her bow falling out of her hands as one warg raked its claws across her back and the other one sunk its teeth into her right shoulder. She growled in pain and anger and drawing her Celtic sgiann dubh plunged it into the neck of the warg whose teeth were embedded in her shoulder. As it fell she tore her shoulder from its mouth and spotting the other warg threw her dagger at its snarling face embedding it in the creature's forehead. Walking over to its carcass she pulled her dagger free and as the adrenaline wore off she noticed something that made her blood run cold.

The other orcs and wargs had disappeared.

* * *

"Warg-scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Thorin stated.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo exclaimed questioningly.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf demanded of Thorin.

"No one." Thorin answered.

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf demanded again but this time more angrily.

"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin demanded.

"You are being hunted." Gandalf informed him.

* * *

Anarane saw the strange man atop the sled being pulled by rabbits rush across the plains followed by the orcs and warg pack. Her elven eyesight also noticed the company rushing across the same rocky plains.

A diversion.

Securing her weapons she ignored the pain coursing through her body and took off in pursuit.

* * *

Gandalf watched from behind the rock as Radagast and the Wargs disappeared in the distance. "Come on!" He ordered.

The Company rushed across the rocky plain. In the distance, Radagast is being chased by the Wargs. One of them crashes while trying to catch him. As the Company ran across the plain, they could see the Wargs not too far from them, so they hid behind the rocks.

"Stay together." Gandalf ordered even as Thorin commanded them to, "Move!"

As the Company ran, Radagast drove his sled beneath an overhanging projection of rock; he ducked, but the Orc on the Warg behind him got knocked off.

As the chase continues, Thorin stops behind a rock so that he is not seen by the Wargs. Ori starts to run out of the cover.

"Ori, no! Come back!" Thorin commands him as Gandalf exclaims, "Come on! Quick!"

As the dwarves continue running, Thorin turns to Gandalf and asks, "Where are you leading us?" Gandalf doesn't answer.

As the Warg scouts chase Radagast, one of them stops and scents the air. The dwarves take cover

behind an outcropping of rock. The scout and his Warg appear on top of the outcropping, scenting the air. Thorin looks at Kili and nods; readying an arrow, Kili quickly steps out and shoots the Warg. The Warg and the orc on it fall near the dwarves, and the dwarves kill them.

The sounds of their fight carry quite far; the other Wargs and Orcs stop chasing Radagast as they hear roars and screams from behind the rocks. "The Dwarf-scum are over there! After them!" Yazneg commands. The Warg scouts howl as they stop pursuing Radagast and begin pursuing the Company.

Gandalf realizes this and shouts yet again, "Move. Run!" The company runs through a grassy plain; Wargs begin to surround them from all sides.

"There they are!" Gloin informs them fearfully.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf states. They run for a while longer, then halt in a clearing as they see Wargs on all sides.

"There's more coming!" Kili informs them with a shout.

"Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin orders.

Looking around, Gandalf sees a large rock; he runs toward it and disappears.

"We're surrounded!" Fili informs with a shout.

Kili begins shooting at the Warg and the Warg-riders, killing some of them as he asks, "Where is Gandalf?"

Dwalin answers, "He has abandoned us!"

The dwarves gather close to each other near the rock Gandalf disappeared by. As Yazneg and his Warg approach, Ori shoots a rock at Yazneg with his slingshot, to no effect. Thorin pulls out his sword and orders with a shout, "Hold your ground!"

Gandalf pops up from a crack in the rock and orders them with a shout, "This way, you fools!" After recovering Thorin orders with a shout, "Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!"

As the Wargs approach, the dwarves and Bilbo slide into the large crack in the rock, sliding into a cave.

Thorin kills a Warg that gets too close. Kili shoots another. Gandalf counts each dwarf as they slide down, "Nine, ten"

"Kili! Run!" Thorin orders his nephew with a shout. Thorin and Kili jump into the crack last. Just as Yazneg and his Wargs reach the crack, an Elvish horn sounds, and a group of mounted Elves rush into the fray, shooting and spearing the Wargs and Orcs. The Company listens to the conflict from inside the crack. One of the orcs, shot by an arrow, falls into the cave. Thorin plucks out the arrow and examines its make.

* * *

Anarane leaned against the back of the large rock. She could hear the others sliding into the cave below the rock. Peeking around the rock she saw Thorin and Kili jump down. The last ones. Coming out from behind the rock, her ice grey eyes steeled in determination, she notched an arrow and let it fly taking down one warg. Pain raced up her shoulder and she dropped her bow to grip at it, blood oozing between her fingers. The wargs though had noticed her and were running towards her. Anarane swallowed nervously.

That's when she heard the horn sound.

"That is no orc horn." She stated simply. She knew an Elvish horn when she heard one and that meant the cavalry had arrived. And so they had shooting and spearing the Wargs and Orcs.

Anarane dropped to her knees, swaying dangerously.

* * *

Anarane had slipped down the Hidden Pass when she was sure that the others had left and had slowly made her way to Imladris, bumping her shoulder painfully against the rock walls when the path became narrow.

And now she was making her way quietly through the halls of the Last Homely House.

"Try it. Just a mouthful."

"I don't like green food."

"Where's the meat?"

"Have they got any chips?"

Anarane shook her head in fond exasperation. Looks like she wouldn't be resting just yet.

* * *

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East Road, shortly before we were ambushed by orcs." Gandalf explained.

"… And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Elrond questioned.

"My lord."

"Yes Lindir?"

"I have been instructed to give these platters to Mithrandir and his majesty." Eyes widened as a platter of fish and vegetables was placed in front of Gandalf and a large slab of meat cooked well done and seasoned in front of Thorin.

Thorin looked over and saw that a similar platter of fish and vegetables was placed in front of Bilbo and large slabs of meat placed in front of his men. Each slab of meat was cooked and seasoned to the liking of each separate, individual dwarf.

Thorin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Not many knew how he and his kin preferred their meat.

* * *

"Deasar (chef, cook) I'm sorry. I know dwarves and they are not fond of vegetables. They enjoy meat. I saved you from their dwarvish ire." She explained her actions before walking away.

"Saved me from dwarvish ire?! Do I look like I fear dwarvish ire, let alone dwarves?! Anarane! ANARANE!"

* * *

Anarane winched in pain as she removed her cloak and jacket. Folding them neatly, she placed them on the bed. "I'm going to have to get those washed and mended." She mumbled to herself.

"You're going to have to get your wounds washed and mended too."

Anarane rolled her eyes. "Lord Elrond, I am fine!"

"Now we both know you're lying. Your mother was not this stubborn. It must come from your father's side."

"Do not let your mother-in-law hear you say that. Your in-laws both adore my father."

"Indeed they do. Galadriel and Celeborn are equally fond of you."

"Indeed we are." A musical feminine voice admitted.

"My Lady Galadriel." Anarane greeted, bowing as Galadriel glided into the room.

"My child… how do you get into such situations?"

"This? I've had worse." Anarane tried to smile it off but hissed when Elrond placed a cloth to the scratches on her back. She whirled around to glare at him. Elrond held his hands up in surrender. "I will see that clothes are provided. We must take your leave though. We have a meeting to attend to."

* * *

Thorin had been dozing when he noticed a figure slip into the room where his company was sleeping. He was instantly on alert and made to draw his weapons when he heard the voice start counting, "Five, six, seven, eight… Balin, Dwalin, Bilbo, Fili, Kili and…"

"You're just as bad as Gandalf with that incessant counting."

The figure snapped its head up. Thorin walked outside on to the balcony, motioning for the figure to follow him. When they were both on the balcony he commented, "I didn't recognize you."

"It's been a while since I wore a dress." Anarane confessed.

"Not since Erebor." Thorin stated as he ran his eyes over her ensemble with its tan bell sleeve chemise top with its full length sleeves with long v shaped extensions. He noticed the brown fully lined and trimmed with hunter green waist cincher laced up in the front. And finally the traditional styled medieval full circle brown, hunter green, and tan colored panel skirt that had a nice A-line shape.

"How are you here? You're supposed to be making your way towards the Blue Mountain, which is in the OPPOSITE direction." Thorin inquired in a quiet voice.

Anarane smirked. "I told you. I would not return to our people like an errant child. I've been here in Imladris since you sent me away." Anarane told him, avoiding his gaze and instead gazing out over the elegant building and waterfalls of Rivendell.

"And how did you know of this place?"

Anarane smiled cheekily and turning her attention back to Thorin replied, "Let's see… this is an elven realm…" At Thorin's glare she sighed and amended her statement with a question, "Do you remember when I would disappear for months at a time?"

"… Aye…"

"Some time after I came to live in Erebor your grandfather could tell that I was greatly saddened. He could tell that I needed living nature and those who understand a love of living nature compared to the dead, rock and stone walls and those who loved them. My father… at the time… could still not care for me so he could not send me back to Lothlorien and he and Lord Elrond knew each other so Thror sent me here."

She noticed Thorin's smirk.

"Something I said?"

"When we first arrived Lord Elrond said that he knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."

"Knowing your hatred of elves you probably said something very uncivil…"

"I did not. All I said was indeed; he made no mention of you."

Anarane smiled and gazed back over Rivendell again. "… It's so peaceful here."

Thorin gazed over Rivendell as well. "Stay here or return to the Blue Mountain, I care not. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted." As he went back inside Anarane closed her eyes tight and bit her bottom lip, letting the tears slide freely down her cheeks.

* * *

Anarane squinted through the rain as the fierce storm raged on, lightning flashing across the sky. She was following the company as they crossed the Misty Mountains. She could somewhat make them out walking on the narrow and dangerous trail, with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop on the other. She barely made out Thorin shouting, "Hold on!" She saw the stone beneath Bilbo give away and he started to fall into the chasm. Her heart stopped and she wished she was with them but she sighed in relief when she saw Dwalin manage to pull him back in time. Again Thorin shouted out, "We must find shelter!" She heard Dwalin's brogue shout, "Watch out!" All the Dwarves looked up to see a massive boulder hurtling through the air. It hit the mountainside above them, causing rocks to fall all around them. They pressed themselves against the mountain. Balin's scholarly voice rang out, "This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" Anarane's heart sped up in fear as she noticed what Balin was referring to; a stone giant had reared up from a nearby mountain. It proceeded to rip off a massive boulder from the top of the mountain.

"Well, bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Anarane saw Bofur lean out from the protection of the cliff and could have strangled him!

"Take cover: you'll fall!" Anarane smiled at Thorin's protectiveness.

"What's happening?" Her heart stopped at the fear in Kili's voice.

She raced down the trail terror racing through her. She saw the giant throw the boulder far in the air and another stone giant appeared from behind the Company, getting hit in the head. She could hear the dwarves yelling at each other to brace and hold on as the rocks beneath their feet began to give way from all the vibrations and from the impact of the falling rocks. She saw the ground between some of the Company members split causing part of the group to be on one side and part on the other.

"Kili! Grab my hand! Ki…" Fili's fear filled voice stopped quickly.

As the two stone giants fought with their fists, she could see the dwarves holding on tightly as they were flung around. She couldn't see who but one of the group managed to jump to a different spot. Her heart stopped as she saw a third stone giant appear. It threw a boulder at the head of one of the first two. That one fell over. She watched in terror as it appeared that part of the group has been smashed to bits. The hurt stone giant lost its footing and fell down the chasm.

"No! No! Kili!" She could hear the fear in Thorin's voice. That same fear was in her heart. She saw the other part of the group rush to the spot where the others appeared to have been crushed.

"We're all right! We're alive!" She sighed in relief when she heard Balin's assuring voice that they were all safe

Bofur's scared voice questioned, "Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?"

"There!" Ori. "Get him!" Hard to mistake Dwalin's thick brogue.

She could see Bilbo hanging onto the edge of the cliff with just his fingertips. She saw Ori dive onto the ground and try to grab Bilbo's arm, but Bilbo slipped and fell another few feet before he caught another handhold. As the dwarves tried to pull him up unsuccessfully, Thorin swung down on the cliff next to Bilbo and boosted him up, where the others pulled him to safety. Dwalin tries to lift Thorin back up too, but Thorin loses his grip and begins falling too. Anarane's breath caught in her throat and her heart stopped momentarily. She relaxed however when Dwalin, with much effort, pulled him back up.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Anarane smiled. Dwalin was actually showing that he cared, and for Bilbo no less!

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." Anarane scowled at Thorin's harsh words. She was going to strangle him!

"Dwalin!"

* * *

Anarane sighed in relief. She knew she was close. She could hear Bofur ask "Where do you think you're going?"

Her heart broke at the defeat in Bilbo's voice. "Back to Rivendell."

"No, no, you can't turn back now; you're part of the Company. You're one of us." She could have hugged Bofur for his kind words as he tried to reassure Bilbo.

"I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door." When she got her hands on Thorin he was a dead dwarf!

"You're homesick; I understand."

"No, you don't, you don't understand! None of you do - you're dwarves. You're used to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."

Anarane's heart stopped at the words. That was harsh. "I am sorry, I didn't..."

"No, you're right. We don't belong anywhere." Anarane's heart broke at the sadness in Bofur's voice. "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do." Anarane smiled at Bofur's sincerity. "What's that?"

"Wake up. Wake up!" She heard Thorin's panicked shouting.

* * *

Anarane stared in openmouthed surprise into the cave. Sighing in exasperation she jumped feet first down the hole. She fell down a chute and slid through a tunnel. She saw the end of the tunnel and flung her right arm out, and holding on tightly to the end of the tunnel she swung about causing her injured right shoulder to erupt in pain. She grit her teeth and breathed deeply and swinging back and forth a little bit jumped down to land in a giant wooden cage.

* * *

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" Anarane could not help the sneer of disgust when she heard the Goblin King's inquiries.

"Dwarves, Your Malevolence."

"Dwarves?"

"We found them on the front porch."

"Well, don't just stand there; search them! Every crack, every crevice." Anarane felt the injustice as the goblins searched her friends thoroughly, throwing away whatever they found. She winced in sympathy when Oin's hearing trumpet was thrown on the floor and crushed underfoot.

"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" She smiled triumphantly when none of the dwarves responded.

"Well then, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the Mangler! Bring out the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest." Anarane's heart stopped at his words. The Goblin King pointed at Ori. Anarane sighed in relief. He had gone off looks. Ori was not the youngest, Kili was. She cursed the stubbornness of dwarves when Thorin stepped forward. "Wait."

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror; King under the Mountain." Anarane wanted to maliciously slaughter the Goblin King when he exaggeratedly bowed to Thorin. "Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you nobody, really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A Pale Orc astride a White Warg." Anarane's heart stopped at the description and her heart broke in sympathy at the look of surprise and disbelief on Thorin's face.

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago."

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" He asked with a laugh then turned to a tiny goblin sitting in a basket and holding a slate. "Send word to the Pale Orc; tell him I have found his prize." There was a whiz and the Goblin King looked at his chest where an arrow was sticking out where his heart was. He looked at it in surprise and with a confused look on his face casually plucked it out.

Oh no…

"He is not a nobody. He comes from a long and glorious line of honourable and respected line of royalty. Which is more than I can say for you scum." She snarled, stepping forward her bow drawn and ready.

"And who do we have here? The Pale Orc made no mention of you." Looking up and down her body, he leered as he stated, "Perhaps I can keep you for myself."

"I'm someone who if you don't release these dwarves I won't make the same mistake again of aiming for your heart. You don't have one. I'm going to pierce your eye. And as an elf, I DON'T miss."

The Goblin King smirked. "You don't scare me. You've already missed once."

Anarane cried out and fell forward to her knees, her bow and arrow clattering from her hands and quickly scooped up by a goblin as her quiver and swords were yanked from her back by another goblin. She glanced over her shoulder at the goblin with a sick smile on his face and the cause of her pain, a whip in his hand.

"Ooo… those look nasty. Red, puffy, and clearly infected. Why don't you tell us how you got them?" the Goblin King cooed.

Anarane glared hatefully up at the Goblin King as she fought to control her breathing through the haze of pain.

"No? Then how about instead of starting with the youngest we start with the one who has fear, I can only guess, for you all over his face."

"No!" Anarane heard the fear in Fili's voice.

She gulped. She knew who he was referring to. Her heart stopped. She took a shuddering breath. "Curse you."

When she remained silent the Goblin King sneered. "As you wish."

She heard Kili call out.

"NO! … I… I was following this band of travelers. I realized they were being hunted by an orc pack astride wargs so when the pack got too close to the travelers I attacked the pack. I took down eight orcs and six wargs…"

"That still doesn't explain those wounds."

She swallowed. "As I was dispatching the sixth warg I didn't notice the two rider less wargs sneaking up behind me. One raked his claws against my back the other sunk his teeth into my shoulder. I dispatched them as well." She finished glaring at him in hate.

After a few moments of silence the Goblin King crowed, "You're lying."

"No I'm not!"

"You tell me the truth or I will shatter him!" She heard rustling behind her. "Please!" Her lower lip trembled as she heard the fear in Fili's voice. She glared up at the sneering Goblin King. "You're a monster. … I failed. When the wargs were dead I realized that the rest of the pack was gone. …Two wargs attacked the band of travelers."

"They were slaughtered."

"No. A diversion was created and they were allowed to make it to safety."

"But you still failed."

"No she didn't!" Anarane smiled as the dwarves defended her.

"SILENCE!" Smirking at her he continued, "And does this band of travelers know of your failure?"

Anarane avoided his gaze.

"Speak. ANSWER ME!"

"No, they don't."

"Tell me who they were… NOW!"

"They know of my failure now."

There was an overwhelming silence from the group of dwarves.

"Oh… this is rich… these dwarves are who you failed. And you have failed them again. Bring forth the youngest!"

Anarane backed up and flinging her arms out protected the group. "Over my dead body." She growled.

"That can be arranged. Bring forth the machines!"

Anarane ignored the pain coursing through her body and kept her eyes fixed ahead.

As dozens of goblins carried massive instruments of torture on their shoulders, bringing them to the Goblin King he started to dance and sing lustily, "Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung. You will lie down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin-town." While he was singing one of the goblins was examining the weapons the dwarves brought with them. He picked up Thorin's sword, Orcrist, and it slid a few inches out of its sheath. Recognizing the sword, he gasps in horror and throws down the sword where it lands in view of all the goblins. Recognizing it, the goblins howl in fear and rage as they retreat from it. The Goblin King runs rapidly to his throne, trampling many goblins on his way. He speaks loudly, pointing at the sword, "I know that sword! It is the Goblin-Cleaver, the Biter, the blade that sliced a thousand necks." As he says this, the rest of the Goblins begin whipping the dwarves with ropes and leaping upon them, biting and slashing.

Anarane tried to protect her family but was being as badly abused as they were.

"Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!" The Goblin King shouted fearfully as the goblins held Thorin down. Anarane struggled fiercely against her captors when she saw Thorin disappear under the goblins. Her fear exploded as she saw one of them pull out his knife and prepare to behead Thorin. Suddenly, there is a massive explosion of bright light; the sound goes muted as a shockwave rips through the area, flinging goblins in the air and destroying the torturing machines. Everyone is knocked down, including the Goblin King. When the force of the explosion has passed, most of the lights in the area have been snuffed out; in the background, a shadow with a tall pointy hat walks up. Anarane smiled in relief when she noticed who it was; Gandalf, holding his staff and his sword, Glamdring. Light slowly returned to the area as the goblins and the dwarves slowly looked up, recovering from the shock. They all stare at Gandalf.

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!" Gandalf ordered them.

The dwarves and Anarane quickly got up and began fighting the goblins. As goblins run at Gandalf, he kills them with his sword and staff. The Goblin King, still lying on the ground, sees Gandalf's sword and points at it, crying aloud to his goblins, "He wields the Foe-Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!" Some of the dwarves reach the pile of weapons and begin tossing the weapons to each other; they use their weapons to defeat the goblins around them. Anarane barely caught her weapons, but swallowed the nausea. Nori, while fighting, lands on the floor; the Goblin King runs at him and swings his mace.

"Nori!"

Anarane kept an eye on Thorin as he jumped forward and deflected the Goblin King's blow, causing the Goblin King to stumble backward and fall off the edge of his platform, falling to the depths below. The rest of the dwarves, Gandalf, and Anarane continue to fight.

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf commands, cutting down the goblins around them, as he, the dwarves, and Anarane ran along the pathway leading away from the throne room, running through the suspended passageways of Goblin Town, with hundreds of goblins running after them.

"Quickly!" Gandalf urges them, "Faster!"

As Dwalin sees several goblins running at them from in front he shouts, "Post!" He, Anarane, and some of the dwarves cut a guardrail post from the side of the path and they hold it out in front of them like a massive spear. "Charge!" Dwalin orders. They charge at the oncoming goblins and sweep them away with the long rail. Dropping the rail, Dwalin pulls out his axes and begins knocking aside goblins. The rest of the company do the same as Anarane forgoes her bow and quiver to use her swords. She fights through the pain and beside her family as Gloin hits one goblin who falls and lands on another suspended path, breaking the path and dropping all the goblins on it into the darkness below. The rest of the Company also fight the goblins around them with their various weapons and fighting styles. Several goblins snarl as they swing on ropes toward the dwarves.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin demands. Anarane quickly follows his order as she, Thorin, and some of the dwarves cut the ropes holding a raised platform in place; the platform falls outward, entangling the goblins swinging on the ropes. As Kili fights, several goblins start shooting arrows at him. Anarane hears the whistling of the arrows and makes to defend him but smiles proudly when he starts defending himself. He deflects some arrows with his sword; he then grabs a nearby ladder and drops it on the oncoming goblins. Kili and some of the other dwarves run forward, pushing the ladder and the goblins it has trapped in front of them. As they approach a missing area of the path, the goblins fall down into the darkness; the ladder, however, acts as a bridge for the dwarves to cross to the rest of the path. As soon as they cross it, Dwalin breaks the ladder, preventing the goblins chasing them from crossing it.

"Quickly!" Gandalf shouts yet again. Anarane tries to control her breathing but she's wheezing by now.

The dwarves and Gandalf continue running through the maze-like paths; they get on a section of the path suspended by ropes from above. They slice some ropes, and the pathway swings away from the rest of the path, approaching a different path.

"Jump!" Thorin commands.

Several of the dwarves manage to jump to the other path; however, before the rest can, the suspended path swings back like a pendulum to where it started, and several goblins leap on. As the path swings back again, the rest of the dwarves and Gandalf manage to jump to the new path as well. Anarane falls to one knee. "Anarane, jump!" Dwalin's brogue growls at her. She looked to where her family was standing through her hazy, blurry vision and shakily pushed herself to her feet and instead of jumping, stumbled. Fili and Kili caught her as the dwarves cut the ropes, causing the swinging path and the goblins on it to fall. She clapped the grinning idiots on their shoulders in thanks. She looked past them to see Thorin's glare of disgust. They continued running through the tunnels, killing all the goblins in their way. Gandalf struck a rock above them with his staff, causing the rock to fall down and begin rolling in front of the Company, squashing all the goblins in their way. Soon, they approached a bridge between two walls of the cavern. As they tried to cross it, the Goblin King suddenly broke through from underneath the bridge and pulled himself up onto it, in front of the Company. Anarane stumbled to a stop as her heart thundered in fear. She couldn't protect her family. Not in her condition. As the Company paused, hundreds of goblins approached them from all sides.

"You thought you could escape me?" The Goblin King inquired with a triumphant sneer as he swung his mace twice at Gandalf, causing Gandalf to stumble back and almost fall. "What are you going to do now, wizard?" He taunted.

Anarane smirked. Bad move, scum.

Gandalf leapt forward and struck the Goblin King in the eye with his staff. The Goblin King dropped his mace and clutched his face in pain. "Ow, ow, ow!" Gandalf stepped forward and sliced the Goblin King in the belly; causing the Goblin King to fall to his knees, clutching his belly. "That'll do it." Gandalf again swung his sword and sliced the Goblin King's neck, causing him to fall down dead. But his dead weight caused the bridge to start shaking. Anarane fell to her knees as the shaking made her already shaky vision worse. Suddenly, the section of the bridge on which the company was standing broke away from the rest of the bridge and started sliding down the side of the cavern. As the bridge slid at a terrific speed down the cavern's wall, demolishing everything in its way; the dwarves clung on, screaming in terror. Anarane fell forward and would have fallen off if her jacket hadn't been grabbed and she hadn't been yanked back. Looking up she saw Thorin who wasn't even looking at her. The bridge slowed down and landed at the base of the cavern, breaking apart and burying everyone in the timber and wood. Gandalf got up from the pile of wreckage and inspected the rest of the dwarves, who were still stuck in the wreckage.

"Well, that could have been worse." Anarane distantly heard Bofur comment. Suddenly, the heavy corpse of the Goblin King landed on the wreckage, squishing them further. They cried out in pain as Anarane bit her lip, drawing blood.

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin's brogue rumbled out. Anarane's thoughts exactly. She began to black out. As the dwarves extricated themselves from the rubble, Kili looked up and saw thousands of goblins running at them.

"Gandalf!" He shouted fearfully.

"There's too many! We can't fight them." Dwalin states.

"Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on! Here, on your feet!" Gandalf informs them. The dwarves get up quickly, helping each other out of the rubble. Anarane though stays put, unable to move through the pain. Thorin growls in disgust as he yanks her roughly from the wreckage. They run away, following Gandalf. They run by, escaping through the exit. They run down the side of the steep, tree-covered mountain. Far in front of him, Gandalf pauses to count how many dwarves are with him as the dwarves pause to collect their breath. "Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve...and Bombur - that makes thirteen. Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

"Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost?!"

"Dwalin!" Anarane shouted angrily.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin stated.

"Don't blame me!" Was Dori's reply.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked impatiently, worry evident in his voice and on his face.

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." Nori offered.

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf shouted.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone." Thorin stated in disgust. The dwarves looked at each other.

"And why shouldn't he be?! After the way you've treated him! I applaud him for dealing with you and surviving for this long! He didn't deserve the treatment you gave him! In fact, for the way you've been treating him you deserve to be knocked on your backside! You rude, cruel, mean, inconsiderate load of dung from a…"

"No, he isn't." A voice interrupted Anarane's tirade. Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree. The dwarves looked up in shock and relief. Gandalf laughed as he spoke. "Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Bilbo strode forward into the group and patted Balin affectionately on the shoulder.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili exclaimed.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?!" Fili questioned.

"How, indeed." Dwalin rumbled. There was an awkward silence before Bilbo gave a nervous laugh and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf said with a smile.

"It matters!" Thorin tells them.

"Thorin, leave him be!" Anarane growled warningly.

"I want to know: why _did _you come back?" Thorin demands.

Bilbo gave him a look of disbelief. "Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

Anarane smiled at Bilbo's words and looking around at the others saw that they were thinking about his words as well. She noticed Gandalf smile slightly. Suddenly howling rent the air.

"Out of the frying pan..." Thorin started. "...and into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf finished.

They all started running down the mountain as fast as they could. The Wargs followed them rapidly as night fell. Soon the foremost Warg caught up to the group and leapt at Bilbo; Bilbo ducked behind a rock and the Warg's jaws snapped in the air over his head. The Warg landed in front of him. Growling, it charged at him. Bilbo pulled out his sword and held it in front of him; the charging Warg impaled itself in the head on the sword and fell down dead. Bilbo looked on in surprise. A few more Wargs caught up to the fleeing dwarves, but they were quickly dispatched. The Company reached a large outcropping of land with a few trees growing on it; they were trapped, as there is no way off the outcropping besides a great fall down the mountain.

Gandalf commands with a shout. "Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, climb!"

Bifur throws an axe, killing a Warg which was approaching him. Bofur jumps off a rock and grabs a tree branch, using Dwalin's head as a stepping stone to the tree. Other dwarves begin climbing into the trees as well. Anarane swallows and tries not to empty her stomach. Fili and Kili appear and without a word boost her up before following behind her. Bilbo tries to pull his sword out of the dead Warg's head, but it is stuck firmly. He continues to pull.

"They're coming!" Thorin warns.

Gandalf climbs to the top of the furthest tree; Dwalin boosts Balin up. Thorin, Bombur, and the rest climb up trees too. The main body of Wargs and Warg Riders approach. Bilbo finally manages to pull his sword out of the Warg and looks up to see several more Wargs running at him. He quickly clambers up a tree as the Wargs rush below him. Dozens of Wargs circle the trees in which the Company members are perched. Gandalf reaches out with his staff and picks up a moth sitting in the same tree as him. Bringing the moth close to his face, he whispers to it; he then blows it gently, causing it to flutter away. The Wargs cease their growling and turn as the White Warg, with Azog on its back, approach slowly. Anarane's heart stops. Thorin looks at Azog in shock. "Azog?!" His shock and disbelief are evident in his whisper of horror.

As his White Warg growls, Azog strokes it and talks ominously. _"Nuzdigid? Nuzdi gast?"_ [Do you smell it? The scent of fear?] _"Ganzilig-i unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob."_ [I remember your father reeked of it, Thorin son of Thrain.] Thorin looks stricken with pain and grief, realizing that Azog had captured his father.

"It cannot be." He whispers in horror.

Azog speaks to his Wargs and Riders. _"Kod, Toragid biriz."_ [That one is mine.] _"Worori-da!"_ [Kill the others!] At his command, the Wargs leap forward and try to climb the trees. They jump as high as they can, scrabbling at the tree trunks and breaking apart branches in their jaws in their efforts. The trees shake violently at the assault, and the dwarves struggle to hold on. _"Sho gad adol!"_ [Drink their blood!] Azog eggs them on.

With the weight of the Wargs climbing it, the furthest tree from the edge of the cliff, which Bilbo and several other dwarves are in, gets uprooted from the ground and begins leaning wildly. As more Wargs grab onto it, the tree tips over and lands on the next tree; the dwarves and Bilbo jump from the falling tree to the next. However, this tree as well tips over; like dominoes, all the trees begin falling over. All the dwarves, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Anarane manage to jump onto the last tree, on the very edge of the cliff. This tree doesn't fall over. Azog laughs. Looking around in desperation, Gandalf spies a pinecone. He grabs it and uses his staff to set the pinecone on fire; he then throws it down amid the Wargs, who retreat in fear of the fire. Azog is startled and angry at the unexpected resistance. Gandalf lights two more pinecones and throws one down to, "Fili!"

Fili catches the pinecone. As Bilbo and the dwarves gather pinecones Gandalf sets them on fire; they then throw the flaming pinecones like missiles at the Wargs. All the area around the tree gets set on fire, forcing the Wargs to retreat a distance. At least one Warg gallops away with its fur alight. Azog roars in anger and frustration as the dwarves cheer. Anarane smiles triumphantly. Suddenly, their cheers turn into cries of fear and her smile turns to a look of horror as the roots of the tree they are in start to give way; the tree tips precariously over the edge of the cliff, but comes to a rest sticking straight out away from the edge of the cliff. Gandalf looks down and sees the ground far, far, below. Everyone tries to hold on as they get flung around. Ori loses his grip on the tree and falls, but manages to grab on to Dori's leg. "Aahhh! Oh! Oh no!" Ori pleads as he dangles. "Mister Gandalf!" Dori begs for assistance.

Because of the extra weight, Dori loses his grip on the tree as well and falls, but Gandalf quickly swings his staff down and Dori grabs on to the end of it. "Hold on, Ori!" Dori pleads.

Azog growls; Thorin, clinging to the tree, looks at him in hate and anger. Thorin pulls himself up, his sword drawn, and walks down the leaning trunk as Bilbo and the others, hanging from the tree, look on. Anarane knew that look. "Thorin! STOP!" She shouts her plea. Thorin runs through the burning ground at Azog and his White Warg. Azog spreads his arms wide with a smug grin on his face. Thorin growls as he runs with his sword up and his oaken branch shield held in front of him. Azog crouches, then roars as his Warg leaps at Thorin. Thorin tries to swing his sword, but the Warg hits him in the chest with its forepaw, smashing Thorin to the ground. The other dwarves in the tree look on in shock. Dori struggles to hold on to Gandalf's staff.

"Help!" Ori begs.

As Thorin gets back on his feet, panting, Azog and his White Warg wheel around; they charge at Thorin again. Azog swings his mace and smashes Thorin in the face before Thorin can react. Thorin is brutally flung to the ground by the impact.

"Nooo!" Balin wails.

"THORIN!" Anarane cried out.

Azog roars in excitement. Bilbo manages to stand up on the tree. The White Warg clamps its jaws around Thorin and Thorin yells in pain. Anarane's heart constricted at the sound. Dwalin tries to get off the tree to assist Thorin, but the tree branches he is holding on to break, swinging him precariously over the edge and preventing him from reaching Thorin. "Thorin! Nooo!" Dwalin howls at his helplessness.

As the White Warg holds Thorin in its mouth, Thorin manages to hit its head with the pommel of his sword. Roaring, the White Warg throws Thorin several feet away onto a flat rock nearby. Thorin lands heavily, his sword falling out of his hand. Anarane can see he is almost unconscious. He wasn't going to last long. _"Biriz torag khobdudol."_ [Bring me the Dwarf's head.] Azog commanded. One of Azog's Warg Riders jumped off his Warg and approached Thorin. Anarane saw Bilbo pull out his own sword, which was glowing blue. She saw him walking off the tree and struggled to her feet. The orc approaches Thorin and places its sword against his neck; raising the sword, the rider prepares to decapitate Thorin. As he swings his sword down, Bilbo throws himself at the orc and knocks him over. As they fight, Bilbo manages to stab and kill the orc. As Azog growls in anger, Thorin goes unconscious. Seeing her brother's eyes close Anarane finds her strength and pulls herself to her feet, a look of determination on her face. Pulling his sword out of the dead orc's body, Bilbo stands in front of the unconscious Thorin and protects his body. He waves his sword wildly at Azog and the other Wargs. Azog smiles in hatred.

"_Kill him."_ He orders in the Black Tongue.

A couple of Wargs and Riders approach Bilbo, snarling. As Anarane rushed off the tree she was joined by Fili, Kili, and Dwalin. They plowed into the Wargs from the side and start fighting them. In the confusion, Bilbo yelled and leapt forward, wounding a Warg. The White Warg hit Bilbo with his head and sent him flying, however. As the fighting around them continued, Azog and his White Warg approached Bilbo to kill him. Fili, Kili, Dwalin, and Anarane were surrounded by Wargs, and Bilbo was at Azog's mercy. Suddenly, the moth returns to Gandalf. Dori slips from the end of Gandalf's staff, and Dori and Ori fall toward the ground far below. An eagle swoops out of nowhere and catches them on its back; they yell in fear as they are carried swiftly away. Several more Eagles appear and join the fray. Anarane smiled in relief and amazement as she saw some grab Wargs and Orcs and toss them over the cliff. She swirled around to see others knock down trees, which crushed the Wargs below them. Another Eagle fanned the flames with its wings, causing an inferno to burn the Wargs. Azog snarls in frustration. Anarane smirks at him. "You don't have long. So I offer you this deal. You take me, an elf, and you give up your quest to destroy Thorin Oakenshield."

He grinned wickedly. "I'll take you anyway." He growled as he lunged at her. Anarane fell to her knees under his frenzied attacks. She kept an eye on the goings on as she defended herself, engaging Azog, providing a diversion. She sighed in relief when One Eagle gently grabbed Thorin and his sword in its talons and flew away. As Thorin was lifted off the ground, she returned her attention solely to her fight with Azog not noticing his oaken branch shield slip off his arm and landing on the ground. Azog roared and jumped back as an Eagle flew by him scooping her up and heading straight for an alarmed Bilbo, snatching him off the ground. It then threw Bilbo, who screamed as he fell towards the ground, only to land on the back of another Eagle. Anarane watched from the safety of her eagle as the rest of the Eagles proceeded to snatch the dwarves out of the tree and fly away. When only Gandalf is left in the tree, the roots give way and the tree falls off the edge of the cliff. Gandalf leaps clear of it and is caught by an Eagle. As the Eagles fly away with all the Company, Azog and the few Warg Riders left growl in anger and frustration. The Eagles soar through the sky over a great distance and over many landscapes. Thorin lies unconscious in one Eagle's talons as the others worry about him.

"Thorin!" Fili shouts, trying to rouse his uncle. Anarane keeps her mouth shut as fears courses through her.

The Eagles approach a massive rock structure shaped like a bear; the Carrock. The Eagle carrying Thorin gently deposits him and his sword on a flat area on top of the Carrock. Another Eagle lands on the Carrock and Gandalf slides off its neck, running toward the unconscious Thorin.

"Thorin! Thorin." Gandalf shouted at the unconscious dwarf. Thorin did not respond however. Bilbo ran up as did Anarane. Gandalf gave Anarane a pleading gaze. "This is more than I can handle. This requires your expertise." Anarane nodded and kneeling next to Thorin placed her hands upon his chest and closed her eyes. After a moment Thorin's eyes fluttered open and he gasped for air. He speaks weakly. "The Halfling?"

"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quiet safe." Gandalf assures him.

By now, the other dwarves have all been landed on the Carrock, and they surround the wounded Thorin. Dwalin and Kili help Thorin up. However, once he's up, he shrugs them off and approaches Bilbo.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?" Thorin rants. Anarane feels her blood boil. The ungrateful son of an orc would never change!

She glared at him as Thorin advanced until he was face to face with Bilbo, who looks worried and frightened.

"I've never been so wrong in all my life!" Thorin exclaimed as he grabbed Bilbo and embraced him deeply. Her eyes misted over with tears of joy. The other dwarves cheered loudly and slapped each other on the back. Gandalf smiled. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugs Thorin back.

"I am sorry I doubted you." Thorin apologizes.

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar." Bilbo babbles.

As everyone chuckles, the Eagles fly away, screeching. Thorin looks beyond Bilbo and sees something; and as he strides forward, and the others follow his gaze Bilbo inquires, "Is that what I think it is?

In the distance, on the horizon, they see the outline of a single, solitary mountain. "Erebor—the Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth." Gandalf explains.

"Our home." Thorin corrects as a bird cheeps and flies by.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain." Oin states excitedly.

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf gently corrects.

"But we'll take it as a sign - a good omen." Thorin states.

"You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us." Bilbo concludes as The Company looks on at the Lonely Mountain as the sun comes up behind them.

The thrush flies across the Desolation of Smaug, flying in front of the ruined gates of Erebor, and then finally lands on a rock on the side of the mountain. It picks up a snail and bangs the snail shell against the side of the mountain. Inside the mountain, a massive pile of gold, coins, jewels, and treasures is piled up in the throne room, and the sounds of the thrush echo through the massive chambers. Some of the gold is blown away, revealing Smaug's snout beneath the pile. As Smaug slowly raises his head from beneath the pile, more treasure falls away from his face. The camera focuses on his closed eye. Suddenly, his eye opens, and Smaug growls.

Now back to the company.

Anarane smiled as she saw the company gazing at Erebor. She took a step forward but stopped when she felt pain race through her body. She placed her hand to her right side and feeling something warm and sticky she pulled her hand away and stared distractedly at her right hand covered completely in blood. Thorin, still smiling happily, turned around. But when he saw Anarane his smile disappeared. Her right hand was positioned weird and she was staring at nothing. Fear coursed through him when she began to sway. "Fili! Kili!" He shouted to his nephews as he rushed towards Anarane, catching her just before she hit the ground.


End file.
